Is This The Biggest Folly In New Mexico History?

Believe it or not, no. A failed visitor center built in the middle of nowhere is not the dumbest thing the New Mexico legislature has approved.

The El Camino Real Heritage Center sits about 40 miles from Socorro, New Mexico ... practically, the middle of nowhere as it is ... all by itself , surrounded by hundreds of miles of open desert.

The multi million dollar building is now a run down, uninhabitable rodent and rattlesnake infested ruin.

Normally, visitor centers, museums, travel centers and the like are nice things to have. They draw tourists, educate people and create jobs but not this one. Meant to celebrate the historic Camino Real, which once ran from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico and was in use for about 3 centuries.

They didn't even get a full decade out of this place, (most likely), because the geniuses in charge at the time built it 40 miles from freakin' nowhere. Far from the interstate and with absolutely nothing else to do anywhere around it. The worst part is it looks like it was a pretty cool place. See some pics here or watch the video.

“On paper, this didn’t look like a project that should (have been) funded. This is not how government is supposed to work,” said economic development expert John Garcia. Garcia served in state cabinet posts under two governors. - krqe

How Did This Happen?

Stupidity. The state legislature usually has to jump through a bunch of hoops, hearings, debates, votes, etc to get things like this approved. Emphasis on the word "usually".

Enter "Capital Outlay". This is "a legislative system that allows individual lawmakers to allocate public money for infrastructure projects. Under Capital Outlay, ventures are funded without justification, feasibility studies, planning, hearings, or debate". Every year, millions upon millions, upon millions are spent this way. Freely. Blindly. Idiotically.

Not The First Time

The Oñate Visitor Center. A $2,000,000 monument and big azz statue of Juan de Oñate. (He celebrated the first Thanksgiving near El Paso.) Thanks to poor planning, vandalism and it also being out in the boonies, it was only open a few years.

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Route 66 Visitor Center in Bernalillo County. After spending $13 million to build it and $320K to furnish it, they got about 2 years out of it before shutting it down.

Now What?

After spending a few million to build it, the states options now are to spend a few more million, ($3,500,000) to repair it ... so nobody but lizards and roadrunners can visit a "nice", empty building ... or drop $840,000 on demolishing it and walk away.

Or they could sell it. There's got to be a half crazy, super reclusive, billionaire out there somewhere that likes to be left alone. That, or another one that wants to join the modern day space race.